If most people were asked about pet-related injuries, they would point to dog bites as the most common. While dogs do bite and cause injury, dog bites are not the only pet-related injury. In fact, more than 80,000 people across the country end up at their local emergency room when they fall over pets or their pet’s objects, such as toys, chews, and food dishes – that is according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
If you have been injured due to another person’s pet, whether because it bought or attacked you or it tripped you, you may have cause for a premises liability or other type of lawsuit. Reach out to Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 to get a free legal consultation and discover what your options are.
More about the CDC’s report
The data the CDC released covered falls reported at emergency rooms between 2001 and 2006. The results found that a total of 86,629 falls per year could be linked to dogs and cats in some way. Walking dogs and chasing pets (cats and dogs) caused the most falls. A pet owner 75 years or older was the most likely to be injured in this type of injury. The most common injuries caused by pet-related falls were cuts and broken bones.
Dogs are more likely to cause falls than other pets
The study also showed that nearly 86% of injuries from this type of pet-related fall were related to dogs and their toys. About 25% of the falls related to dogs happened while someone was walking the dog. Only 3% of falls happened while a person was walking away from a dog, and just 0.5% of falls were caused by breaking up a fight between dogs. In about 33% of falls, a person tripped over the dog while about 20% of cases involved the animal pulling the victim to the ground.
The CDC has provided a few prevention strategies
In addition to compiling statistics, the CDC also offered a few suggestions to prevent these injuries in the future. First, they want to raise awareness that pets and their items are such as big hazard. Second, they want to stress what the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends: Obedience training for dogs.
Have you been injured by someone else’s pet?
If you have been injured by another person’s dog, cat, or other pet, then you should talk to a personal injury attorney to find out if you have grounds for a lawsuit. You should not have to pay just because someone else’s pet did not behalf properly. Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now for a free legal consultation.
